Sitz Bath for prostate enlargement 

A sitz bath is an old-fashioned method that really works when it comes to shrinking the prostate naturally. The hot bath relaxes the pelvic muscles and promotes healing. The cold bath eases pain and reduces prostate swelling.

For this method, you just need to fill the bathtub with warm water and then add ½ cup of Epsom salt to it. And, in another bathtub (or large container), you fill with cold water and add several drops of lavender essential oil to the bathtub.

Now, you sit in the bathtub containing hot water (105 degrees F to 115 degrees F) for about 3 minutes. Then, move to the one with cold water for 1 minute (55 degrees F to 85 degrees F).

Diabetes, men and urological health

While diabetes is a disease that can affect people from head to toe, for men, it’s often their urological health that may suffer. Men, who’ve had uncontrolled diabetes for awhile, can develop serious health complications making it a quality of life issue. These issues can include both sexual and urological problems especially if men have the following conditions:

• High blood sugar levels above the normal range
• High blood pressure or high cholesterol
• Men who smoke
• Being overweight to obese
• Older than 40 years of age
• Physically inactive
• Smoking
• Drinking too many alcoholic beverages

Men’s Health by Net Patient Foundation

Diabetes can have harmful effects on all body systems, including urological health. The disease of diabetes is when blood glucose levels are elevated higher than normal. Glucose is the body’s main fuel sources, derived from foods that contain carbohydrates that break down into the sugar we call glucose. Glucose from carbohydrate foods will enter into the bloodstream, causing a rise in blood glucose levels. Insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, is responsible for moving glucose from the blood into the body’s cells.

For people with diabetes, either their pancreas is making insufficient (type 2 diabetes) insulin or no insulin (type 1 diabetes) whatsoever. Whether diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it means glucose is unable to go from the bloodstream into the body’s cells and therefore, continues to rise overtime. High blood glucose levels circulating in the bloodstream can significantly damage small blood vessels throughout the body possibly leading to serious complications such as blindness, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, neuropathy, and can affect urological issues.

Japanese Method to Shrink Prostate

 How diabetes affects urological health

For men with diabetes, urological issues can become problematic. Blood vessels and nerves become damaged by the effects of high blood glucose leading to sexual and bladder issues.

Wanring Signes for Aging Men

• Changes in urinary habits

Frequent urination especially if getting up during the night, incontinence, a weak stream, or trouble starting a stream, could be symptoms of an enlarged prostate. It could also be signs of PC a urinary or bladder infection or even diabetes.  Pain or burning during urination could be caused by a bacterial infection or even a sign of prostate cancer. Seeing their doctor and getting the right diagnosis can prevent more serious issues of the kidneys, advanced diabetes, or prostate cancer. 

• Tingling, burning, or numbness in the extremities

Sensations of tingling, burning, or numbness in the arms, hands, legs, or feet is not only uncomfortable but also a cause for concern. While easy to ignore, these symptoms are not normal. Usually tingling, burning, or numbness are related to circulation problems and might indicate diabetes, anemia, multiple sclerosis, peripheral neuropathy, stroke, and hypothyroidism. 

Everyone experiences numbness, tingling, or a burning sensation on occasion. Usually these temporary symptoms resolve within minutes. However, men who have no obvious cause for continuing any of these sensations should consult their doctor right away. 

• Shortness of breath

Dyspnea, better known as shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, can be due to any number of things.  It could include intense exercise to a sudden temperature change, or when traveling through a change in altitude.

But having shortness of breath can also be a sign of something more serious like pneumonia, stress or anxiety, fluid buildup around the lungs or heart, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or even lung cancer. 

Anytime a man is frequently finding it hard to breathe or is breathless waking up during the night, should make an appointment with the doctor as soon as possible. If the shortness of breath is sudden and severe and accompanied by chest pain, call 911. 

• Sweating 

We all sweat but if sweating has become excessive, it could be caused by a variety of factors, including gaining excess weight, thyroid problems, diabetes, heart issues or even cancer. Men who are sweating more than usual do not need to call 911 but should instead consult with their doctor to rule out a serious underlying medical condition. 

• Skin changes

Performing a monthly full body skin check is advisable for all men. This includes looking at the bottom of feet, between toes, the buttocks, and the back. Any new or noticeable changes in a freckle or mole, such as a change in color, size, or that bleeds, need to be seen by a dermatologist. These could be signs of skin cancer or malignant melanoma which can be fatal. For men, this is especially true if they spend many hours outdoors and do not use sunscreen. If it is skin cancer that’s found early, they can be treated and cured. 

• Blood in urine or stools

Besides a possible urinary tract or prostate gland infection, men noticing blood in their urine or stools is not normal and could be caused by a kidney stone, bladder cancer, hemorrhoids, or colon cancer. Reporting either of these symptoms to a doctor as soon as possible is critical. 

• Snoring excessively

Loud snoring could indicate a potentially serious problem.  The most likely cause is obstructive sleep apnea, which is linked to many health problems such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.  Other symptoms of sleep apnea include gasping for air during sleep, awakening with a dry mouth, waking up with a morning headache, difficulty staying asleep (insomnia), excessive daytime sleepiness, irritability, difficulty paying attention while awake, and episodes of stopping breathing during sleep. Men with any of these symptoms should talk to their doctor to be evaluated with a sleep study test for sleep apnea. Lifestyle changes such as losing weight if overweight and using a CPAP machine to breathe at night can help treat this disorder. 

• Unexplained weight loss

Losing a significant amount of weight without trying can be a sign of a serious health problem. It could indicate diabetes, an overactive thyroid, or Crohn’s disease. Cancer is another possibility especially if the weight loss is 10 pounds or more. Dramatic weight loss is more likely seen with cancers of the pancreas, stomach, esophagus, or lung. 

• Chest pain

Crushing chest pain is usually associated as a warning sign of a heart attack. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in American men and is the most common symptom of a heart attack.  The pain may be located in the middle of left side of the chest and can last for several minutes. Some men will describe the pain as feeling pressure, squeezing or fullness in the chest. Other men who suffer a heart attack will have had heartburn or indigestion as their warning sign. Even if it’s not a heart attack, chest pain should not be ignored. Crushing chest pain that may also be accompanied with nausea, vomiting, and sweating is dangerous so call 911 right away. 

• Chronic heartburn

Spicy dishes, fried foods, eating too fast, overeating, over imbibing alcohol, and obesity have all been blamed for that uncomfortable and annoying burning sensation called heartburn. Noticed most often in the upper abdomen and often accompanied with a sour taste in the mouth caused by the relux of stomach acid from the stomach, occasional heartburn is usually not a problem.

Many men do not get regular checkups and may be at risk for Cancer, that my go un detected and worsen if not caught soon enough.

BIG QUESTIONS

When You Should Screen For PSA Levels

Colloquially, prostate cancer screening is thought to be routinely undertaken by men over the age of 40. American Urological Association recommends the following:

• Men under 40: No screening – there is no evidence to suggest a benefit of screening under 40
• Men aged between 40 to 54: No screening if you’re at average risk. If you’re at a high risk (such as having a family history of prostate cancer), the decision should be made by yourself and your doctor.
• Men aged between 55 to 69: Screening with doctor approval. This is the age group is identified as having the greatest benefit of screening
• Men aged over 70 or less than a 10-15 year life expectancy: Routine screening not recommended unless you are in excellent health where they may be benefit

Factors That Affect PSA Levels

It is important to note that PSA levels can rise naturally with age, and that a number of benign (not cancerous) conditions can also affect PSA levels, such as prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, enlarged prostate), urinary tract infection (UTI), or even injury to the prostate.

Other factors such as sexual activity right before testing, certain exercises, or even diet can impact the PSA levels as well. It is essential to consult a doctor regarding the meaning and next steps of your PSA testing results.

Understanding PSA Levels

• If your PSA levels are between 0 and 2.5 ng/mg, and the value is relatively stable over time, then prostate cancer is not likely and there is a low chance that you would require further testing.  If the PSA is trending up, further testing is likely appropriate.

• A PSA level between 2.5 and 4.0 ng/mL is generally considered normal, as long as the value is stable.  In the absence of other risk factors, if your PSA levels aren’t fluctuating, and if you aren’t taking medication for BPH, your doctor may decide that no additional testing is needed until your next annual physical.  If the PSA is trending up, further testing is likely appropriate.

• If your PSA levels are over 4.0 ng/mL, or if they are rising, your doctor may wish to order additional testing to rule out other conditions. For example, a urine test might help check for a urinary tract infection. Although PSA levels between 4.0 and 10.0 are considered “suspicious,” only about 25% of those men will have prostate cancer.

• If your PSA levels are 10 ng/mL or higher, these levels are considered “dangerous.” This means that approximately 50% of those men have prostate cancer.

Schedule a consultation with a Prostate Doctor

Normal PSA Levels By Age Chart

We mentioned earlier in this article that PSA levels increase with age due to age related growth of the prostate gland. A doctor will therefore take into account an age-adjusted PSA level when discussing your prostate health:

Age Range (years)	Baseline Age-Adjusted PSA Levels ng/mL
40 to 49	0 to 2.5
50 to 59	0 to 3.5
60 to 69	0 to 4.5
70	0 to 6.5

Although there are “normal” PSA levels by age range, it is still important to screen routinely (as instructed by your doctor) to ensure these “normal” levels are not rising.

How PSA Results Are Used For Diagnosis

In the past, many doctors wanted men with elevated PSA and/or an abnormal digital rectal examination to undergo a prostate biopsy. Today, this is not a course of action recommended by the American Urological Association. In such cases,(mpMRI) is now recommended as the best front-line test to detect–or rule out–prostate cancer.

If a mpMRI shows a suspicious finding, a MRI-guided biopsy is the most accurate way to perform a biopsy of the prostate. If this is not possible, an MRI can be used with an ultrasound-guided biopsy. This is referred to as a “fusion” biopsy, and is more accurate than an ultrasound biopsy alone.

PSA level (ng/mL)	0 to 2.0	2.0 to 4.0	4.0 to 10.0	Greater than 10.0
Prostate Cancer on biopsy (%)	10%	25%	17%-32%	43-65%

How To Get A PSA Test

Consult with your general practitioner or urologist about receiving a PSA test in their offices. PSA tests are typically covered without co-pay or deductible by Medicare once a year for men 50 years and older. Many states now have laws which require private health insurers to cover the costs for PSA testing. However, additional PSA test costs may need to be covered by the patient.

For those without insurance, or for those with insurance that does not cover PSA testing, free tools are available through advocacy groups, such as ZERO.

Prostate Cancer Treatment Options

When it comes to treating prostate cancer, you have many options. The two most commonly recommended choices are radical prostatectomy — a major surgery — and radiation therapy. Because these traditional procedures come with a significant risk of side effects, some patients elect to skip any treatment and take their chances.  

There is a tremendous need for a more balanced approach, where the cancer is treated, but with a lower risk of serious side effects than traditional procedures. That’s why we perform laser focal therapy.

Laser Focal Therapy

Laser focal therapy (LFT) can be a compelling option for patients who are candidates.

With MRI guidance, we can often localize your cancer (or at least its most dangerous part) to one or two regions of the prostate. We can then place a laser fiber under MRI guidance into those areas.

The MRI provides an provides an additional, powerful tool by demonstrating real-time heat maps of the areas of tissue destruction.

Although side effects are possible with any procedure, in appropriate patients LFT can treat the cancer with a lower risk of serious side effects compared to traditional treatments ^[1-5].  Looking for more information about what to expect?

Men’s Health & Aging

As we age there are several other things we might consider like our vision and our mental wellness.

We start asking questions like:

• Will I get Alzheimer’s like my grandparents? REFERENCE SITE
• Will my mental health go first?
• Am I at risk for a neurologic problem in the future like my parents?
• Does my eye site have anything to do with dementia?

Covid-19 and Neuro

Many people are sent to a specialist for neuro consult, and find themselves frustrated as the specialists since COVID-19 have pretty much gone into a 3-9 month scheduling rut making it very hard to get into see a specialist and in the neuro space once you do get in if they require an aEEG that may be many more months of waiting.